At one house, Iraq’s national flag fluttered atop a building that Iraqi soldiers had captured from militants two days before. At another, smashed household goods and furniture were scattered on the floor. Outside a third, hosting a meeting of Iraqi security force commanders, a captain from Iraq’s national intelligence service pointed to the far side of a murky irrigation canal. “Here it is safe now,” he said of Al-Daira. “But over there are more terrorists. That is where we will fight...

A gang of gunmen disguised in military-style uniforms and carrying forged arrest warrants killed 25 police Monday, then hoisted the battle flag of al-Qaida in a carefully planned early morning shooting spree in western Iraq, officials said. The killings in Haditha highlight al-Qaida's success in regaining a foothold in an area they once dominated through police executions and murdering city officials. By going after police, the militants demonstrate to the residents of Haditha, a desert city closer...